We make rasam mostly daily in India even if we have some other kuzhambu or curries because it is something which is very healthy and also too quick to make. It takes 30 minutes for me to prepare this rasam. But my mom makes in 20 minutes. 🙂 I guess she has way more experience in cooking than me 🙂

If we have stomach problems or cold or if we want to have something light, the first thing that comes to my mind is rasam and then buttermilk. I make rasam so often that I never click pictures. But this one 😉 I took the picture as my mom made it 🙂 I loved that trip 😉 I never cooked anything. Just had to wake up, watch TV, see her cook sometimes 😉 and take pictures sometimes 😀 and that too if I feel 😀 wow! Vacation it is I say! Can’t imagine when I can have a similar trip again.

This rasam is with no tamarind, you can very well add tamarind, but it does add more tanginess. You can add rasam powder instead of sambar powder. My friend Vincy says rasam is best with omelette 😀 try it!

Boil the toor dal in one cup of water for ten minutes on the stove in simmer. Or keep it in the cooker for 2 whistles. Mash it well and add a cup of water.

Add the chopped tomatoes, sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt to it. Let it boil for 10 minutes in medium high flame. Add a pinch of sugar and switch off.

Take a small pan with 1 tbsp of oil in medium flame for tempering, add the mustard seeds, and wait for it to crackle. Then add the cumin seeds, wait for it to change color to light brown. Add the ginger, ginger chilli, curry leaves and 2 pinches of asafetida, wait for it to get sauteed, switch off and add the tempering to the tomato rasam mixture.

Squeeze some lemon into it. Usually, when the rasam is hot, do not squeeze lemon as it might give you sour taste. So, just wait for 5 -10 minutes and squeeze some lemon into it. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes

1. You can do this same recipe without dal as well. Just skip the second step and go to the third step.2. Adding sugar will boast the flavors.3. If you want it less spicy, reduce the sambhar powder,by half.